Quote of the Day

"That's about the only bit of controversy you can stir, unless you're talking about a matchup between celebrity superfans Nick Lachey (Bearcats) and Ashley Judd (Wildcats)."
--Jerry Brewer, Sports Columnist, The Courier-Journal (He replaced Pat Forde), March 19, 2005
LINK

Not that Kentucky cares, really. Cincinnati might as well be Northern Kentucky University. Rivalry? The teams have played only five times in the past 57 years. Kentucky has won 14 consecutive times in the series. The Bearcats haven't beaten the Wildcats since Dec. 16, 1939.

UK freshman Ramel Bradley knows his rivals, and there ain't no Bearcats on the list.

"I think Indiana, Louisville and Eastern Kentucky," he said, straight-faced.

Cincinnati might as well be Georgetown College.

"Where is Cincinnati?" asked Bradley, a New Yorker. "It's right next to us, right? Yeah, um, it's a battle of territory. We'll be excited."

Said senior forward Chuck Hayes: "It's just an hour down the street."

On the Bluegrass side, only the game's implications are exciting. Sure, some Northern Kentuckians will get into it more, but for the most part the opponent is noteworthy only because the Wildcats need to avoid losing to a Conference USA team for the third straight NCAA Tournament. Louisville, one of their real rivals, would have too much fun with that.